The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has proposed a $225 million fine, the largest proposed fine in FCC history, against telemarketers for a Texas-based health insurance company for apparently making about 1 billion illegally spoofed robocalls over less than five months. The telemarketers, John C. Spiller and Jakob A. Mears, under the business name, Rising Eagle, made approximately 1 billion spoofed robocalls, in early 2019, for clients that sell short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans.
The FCC Enforcement Bureau’s investigation found that these spoofed robocalls, made to deceive consumers, were in violation of the Truth in Caller ID Act, which prohibits manipulating caller ID information. This proposed fine, in the form of a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL), only alleges how Rising Eagle apparently violated the law. Neither the allegations nor the proposed sanctions in the NAL are final Commission actions. Rising Eagle will have the opportunity to respond and submit evidence before the matter is resolved.
